18th Century France: the richest nation on Earth -- with the most powerful King, the best-educated population and the strongest army in Europe. But an undercurrent of discontent is about to boil over, setting in motion the transforming event of western civilization.

ACT I - THE END AND THE BEGINNING

Our story begins in the Conciergerie - the infamous dungeon in the center of Paris, where thousands spend their last days awaiting the guillotine blade. Among the damned, Maximilien Robespierre - who just days before was commanding the revolution himself - sits in his dank cell, still bleeding from the bullet that shattered his jaw. As Robespierre is prepared for the guillotine, we see glimpses of the revolution - a king and queen fleeing for their lives, noblemen passionately debating the fate of the nation, and murderous hordes taking the law into their own hands. The Revolution would bring bread to the poor, democracy to France, and the establishment of a whole new order of society. But progress would come at a price…

We travel back to a different France - one where absolute power is about to move to new hands. In 1770, all of France is abuzz as their queen-to-be arrives from Austria. Marie Antoinette, barely 14-years old, is a lovely and lively charmer - a dauphine ready to taste every frivolity that Versailles has to offer. She takes to life in the palace with ease, and by the night of her wedding she has completely enchanted the court. But as the guests leave the new couple alone in their bed, Marie encounters the secret that will seal her fate. Her new husband, Prince Louis, is impotent, and it will be years before he can sire an heir to the throne. In fact, at 16-years old, Louis is a shy and awkward boy, as indecisive in matters of state as in personal matters. As we see him in his solitary languor, it is clear that he will not have the strength to pull France from disaster. As he ascends the throne, he prays, “Protect us Lord, for we reign too young.”

ACT II - SETTING THE STAGE

The year is 1774, and the newly crowned Louis XVI is making a rare appearance in Paris. The carriage stops on a rainy cobbled street where a small crowd has gathered. A proud young man, in his finest attire, steps out of the crowd to address the king and queen with a poem delivered in Latin. The king looks on in boredom, unaware that this boy, this Robespierre, will one day bring the monarchy to its knees.

At the beginning of Louis XVI’s reign, Paris is a city on the brink. Rousseau’s Social Contract is being read widely, signaling the beginning of the Enlightenment. We see aristocrats in salons espousing ideas of freedom and equality, even though these ideas will end their elite way of life. At Versailles, life remains dangerously disconnected. Marie Antoinette pours herself into silly pastimes - complex social rituals, ever grander costumes, and absolutely gigantic hair. It is a mere distraction from her failing marriage, and the increasing anger from the people at her lack of a son. Louis has become even more aloof, avoiding the growing debt he feels powerless to correct. Because of an old grudge against the British, he has sunk even more funds into the American revolution. This is disastrous for the French economy, where citizens are forced to spend 70% of their income on bread alone. Poverty and dissatisfaction reach a climax, as riots begin to break out.

As Robespierre concludes his poem, we know that the era of royal splendor is ending. The carriage quickly pulls away, neither man knowing that when they meet again it will be in the shadow of the guillotine.

ACT III - THE REVOLUTION BEGINS

In a small French village, peasants gather frozen twigs for firewood, their breath visible in the cold air. The winter of 1788 is the harshest in 90 years, and it’s taking its toll on the stomachs of the people. <